My son did two years of preschool plus kindergarten at Lake Hills Montessori School. I'm sending my…read moredaughter next year, so I guess you could say we love it. The small class sizes mean that the teachers can really give each child individual attention: most often, lessons are one-on-one. This school has a great balance between discipline and freedom. Kids are allowed to choose what works they do, within reason, but the environment never feels hectic. My son was very shy and worried when he first started preschool and he had really blossomed in this environment. I think having consistent familiar teachers for all three years made a difference. They were willing to be patient with him and work slowly at his level until he was ready to open up. Financially speaking, this school is a really good deal for what you get. 5 days a week, 2.5 hours a day. The price is higher than a church-run play school, but much cheaper than a day care school, and the educational quality is much better than either of them. I love that my son really learned things instead of played all day, but did it in an age-appropriate way (no worksheets, no sitting at a desk). He was always so excited about the new things he had learned and remembered them years later.

My wife and I are so pleased to have our daughter enrolled at this school. Lake Hills Montessori…read moretakes awesome care of children, teaching them responsibility and giving them a sense of belonging. Literacy, team work, leadership, communication, respect, patience, all aspects that are important for littles to work on are addressed through meaningful and well-articulated curriculum. As a Bellevue School District teacher, I appreciate the communication I receive about what she is learning in class. My wife and I are empowered to ask questions about what she is learning in class thanks to the weekly themes and regular progress updates. Students going through the Montessori method are regularly creating things they can bring home with them, so we get a piece of her learning back with us nearly every day. The kinds of soft skills that Lake Hills Montessori enforces is on display anytime you go to visit. Classroom procedures and expectations are clear and transparent, and you regularly can observe students working on and teachers giving feedback about those procedures. This enables a classroom environment that is remarkably calm and focused for students as young as three years old. Our daughter is full of energy 24/7, but this program has an excellent way of channeling and focusing students learning during their time there. As a music teacher, I also appreciate the use of song and the recognition of composers throughout the school year. The implementation of music is clear when we drive home and hear fragments of new songs and lyrics that we don't recognize. This provides one more way for us to interact with our daughter about her education, seeking out videos of the music she is learning and singing with her at home. The staff at this school are kind and nurturing while also being fierce professionals at what they do. The intentional preparation and attention to detail is evident from the first visit when we met the staff and continues with each visit afterwards. We are both so thankful for this excellent program!

Everything has been amazing here at The Discovery Center! Our daughter has been going for nearly a…read moreyear and a half and still gets excited to go to school each day and talks about her friends and teachers all the time at home. The homemade meals have been a great way to introduce her to foods we might not make at home, and the staff has done a great job with providing alternative food options when needed to work around our daughter's allergies. Our daughter had a reaction at home to soy and it turned out to be an allergy to all legumes. While we were figuring this out the Discovery Center staff went above and beyond and had a list of safe foods and a list of foods she couldn't have that we would update to ensure they were avoiding all potential allergens as we figured this out. This made us feel safe sending her to school during a more uncertain time. They still go above and beyond to avoid her allergies and provide other food options. Our experience potty training our daughter before she was two years old would not have been possible without the help and support of the staff. They helped take her to the toilet often and continued to help potty train her while at school. There's a great balance of education, play, and outdoor time. We can tell she is learning a lot and we know she is having a ton of fun too. Our daughter will come home and suddenly start counting to numbers we haven't even tried to teach her or sing new songs! Our daughter is insanely shy around new people, she still is scared of some grandparents. But she is very comfortable with everyone at The Discovery Center, I couldn't imagine sending her somewhere else. The classroom and daycare size is a perfect middle ground where there are plenty of kids our daughter's age, but it still has a more intimate feel where everyone knows each other. The whole place has a great "family" vibe where all the parents will pitch in. There was a time when they were remodeling the outside play area and they asked if some parents could volunteer to help put together some structures on a Saturday. It felt like nearly every dad showed up to help get these structures built and the owners provided us all a home cooked lunch for coming together and helping out. Speaking of remodeling the outside, since we started at The Discovery Center the entire center has had so many improvements. From new play structures outside, to a new outdoor infant area, to a full remodel inside. It's been fun to see this place grow and improve over the year and a half we've been sending our daughter to school. The Discovery Center has been a great daycare for our daughter, has been flexible and helpful for our needs, and we will be bringing our newest daughter to the same school here soon!

this is an update from my previous review. Unfortunately, Discovery Center turned their back on us…read morewhen we most needed. 2 weeks before our start date, my spouse was laid off and we needed subsidy to pay part of the tuition. We let them know and they immediately changed their minds about our enrollment. They said: "Either pay full price without the subsidy or we will not accept your kid". On their end, the money they receive is the same - the only issue is they had to report the paperwork and taxes related to it. School in their response claims my kids have never been part of the school: As mentioned in my original review, it is because they decided not to enroll our kids TWO WEEKS before we started. This is the whole point why we wrote the review.

My son has had a wonderful experience at this center. The staff is friendly and professional, and…read morethey truly care about the children. I highly recommend this center to other families.

This daycare is irresponsible, unsafe, and dishonest. I trusted them to take care of my child. The…read moreteacher of the toddler class neglected him. As a result, he is seriously sick now. At least two members of staff lied about the situation. No one really took the issue seriously. This center has no empathy or respect for children. Parents in my community and colleagues were horrified to hear our experience. We will make sure that all of our friends and colleagues who are parents and considering Bright Horizons are aware of how dangerous this center is.

Both of my kids attended TLC Montessori, with one starting during Covid and the other as a toddler…read more It's a fantastic school for overall development. While many parents focus on academics, I was more interested in how my children were learning new things, participating in concerts, and performing on stage. They gained a wide range of skills and became more independent. Ms. Kim and all the teachers are well educated and dedicated, always looking happy and smiling, and greeting everyone with a welcoming attitude. They treat the kids and their families like their own. Other children in the neighborhood who also went to this school have grown up to do really well.

TLC has been an excellent experience for both our sons. We moved to Sammamish at the beginning of…read morethe pandemic with 4 and 2 year olds and were looking for a school and were new to Montessori. Our neighbors recommended TLC and we couldn't be happier. The school never closed during Covid and managed a once in a lifetime pandemic with grace and foremost, childrens' safety in mind. our oldest son is now in public school and has excelled because of the foundation the Kim's and all the great teachers provided him. Couldn't recommend the school more highly.

SMS has provided foundational learning experiences for my three kids over the last 6yrs (youngest…read morestill attending). They are at an excellent location, easy commute from our work places, and have an excellent family-like staff & environment. Highly recommended!!!

I highly recommend SMS. It is the best and one of the most mature Montessori schools in the Redmond…read morearea. Family run and teachers stay for decades. I cannot say enough good things about them - they are excellent. The front desk staff, Jane especially, greet you with smiles and any information you need as well as help for any issue. Teachers are attentive and thoughtful, and they communicate well to parents. For issues and concerns they pick up the phone when you call, they do what they say they will do and most important - our kids loved their teachers and we parents got to be proud of our children's development. I had my two girls go through their pre-school program in 2014-2020 time frame and I couldn't be happier - big shout out to Mrs. Kerr and Mrs. Digdhe in class room 5!

My daughter joined the school two years ago. The school is very organized and teachers are very…read morecaring. The kids at school are always very happy.

My son has been going to Monarca since last fall and it was the obvious choice for many reasons…read more Not a giant school. He get intimate interactions with his teachers which are never changing. We had gone to another Spanish immersion school and the teachers were constantly being change out. It's safe, it's well managed and clear what the kids are learning. His penmanship is outstanding since coming to Monarca. They celebrate diversity in all its form. During the holidays they held a movie night at the house with food and allowed all the parents a night to get ready for the holiday the following week. If you are wanting a small school experience with top notch instructors where your little one will be fully immersed in Spanish, this is your place.

Okay, so let's begin. This preschool was like a second home for my child. When he first started…read moreattending, he was quite introverted. However, within just a few weeks, we noticed a remarkable transformation as he became more outgoing. All the teachers, especially Miss Archana and Miss Mansi, were exceptional. This school excels in academics as well. If you're in search of a preschool that provides a nurturing environment akin to a second home, where children learn and engage with such enthusiasm, Bright Star Montessori is the perfect place. During his initial days, my child faced challenges with eating and rest room training, but the teachers provided tremendous support, and in no time, he was doing perfectly fine. We are truly grateful ... Thank You Miss Mansi and Miss Archana for creating such beautiful place for kids ... Kudos !!

Pine Lake Co-Op Preschool has been amazing for my daughter. Play-based learning, exposure to…read moredifferent skills/activities and time spent outdoors playing makes my child beg to go to preschool! The teachers are wonderful and knowledgeable. Co-op model means great student-teacher/adult ratio and very affordable tuition. Getting to volunteer in the classroom has helped me learn more about child development and felt more confident as a parent. It is a great use of my time. There's a reason Pine Lake Co-Op Preschool has been a central part of the community for over 50 years! My daughter is a second generation PLCP student!

We moved to Sammamish in the middle of the pandemic, and I am so happy to have found Pine Lake…read moreCo-op Preschool (PLCP)! It is exactly what my son needed after being home for so long without regular interaction with other kids his age. At PLCP, we have found the perfect balance between flexible structure and the freedom to just play and be kids. Our family has had nothing but wonderful experiences the last two years with Teacher Kim! It's very evident that she is thoroughly experienced with these age groups and provides a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and lessons for the kids. There's no better feeling as a parent than seeing your child thrive in their first experience of school! I am grateful to have found a preschool where my son is safe, positively engaged with his peers and teacher, and excited to go to school each day. As a former K/1st teacher, I have no doubt that Pine Lake Co-op is a wonderful place for both you and your child to grow and learn together. The co-op model is unique and we have loved building connections with other families. Our younger one will be starting at PLCP in a few months, and we're so excited to see his education journey begin!!